


A Crown to the Aged

by TheSpasticFantastic



Series: A Tale of Two Cities [8]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Baby Fic, F/M, Modern AU, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on Tumblr, TW: Birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26730226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpasticFantastic/pseuds/TheSpasticFantastic
Summary: Agnarr and Iduna await the birth of their second granddaughter.
Relationships: Agnarr/Iduna (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Series: A Tale of Two Cities [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815652
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a swap fic for @couragedontdesertme. Many thanks to @fericita-s for beta reading. And, of course, @patricia-von-arundel for creating everyone’s favorite Geat.

“Thank you for waiting with me,” Agnarr said. Kristoff shrugged, looking oversized and uncomfortable in the plastic chairs of the hospital waiting area. Neta was curled up next to him, snoring peacefully, the static electricity from the plastic seats causing her hair to float.

“Don’t mention it. You never know how long it’s going to take. Anna will need a ride home when it’s all over anyway.”

“Will you be driving back right away?”

Kristoff smiled and rubbed his stubble. “Depends on what time it’s over. We’ll probably get a hotel room. You?”

“Iduna is going to stay with them for a week. I’ll take the train back.” They lapsed into silence. He glanced up at the clock. Two in the morning. And it had already been eight hours since his wife had called him to say that Elsa had gone into labor and they were heading to the hospital.

“Gentlemen?” A nurse in navy blue scrubs poked her head into the room with a smile. “I just wanted to let you know that the cafeteria has evening hours now if you wanted to get coffee. They usually have hot breakfasts and sandwiches for sale.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks.”

“No worries. Would you like a blanket for your daughter?”

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks,” Kristoff yawned. He stood and wiped his hands on his pants. “I think I’m going to get some coffee and bacon. You want any?”

“Coffee would be nice,” Agnarr rubbed his eyes. Years had passed since he had pulled all-nighters and he was feeling his age. He wished he could sleep as easily as Neta managed. Kristoff nodded and bent to kiss Neta before walking off in the direction the nurse had indicated. Agnarr sighed and shut his eyes, leaning his head against the wall behind him. Days were slow, but the months had flown since they had been told . . .

_“Why do you think they invited us out? And to our favorite restaurant?” Iduna looked around the bustle of the White Dog Café. “Do you think they’re going to tell us she’s pregnant?”_

_“Don’t be ridiculous,” he replied lightly as he examined the menu. “Alarik is up for tenure. They’re probably going to tell us that he got the position.” He smiled at her. “Which is good. New York isn’t the same as down the street, but it isn’t too far. And it’s better than Princeton.” He shuddered._

_“Anything is better than New Jersey,” she agreed, worrying her lip. “But Anna has been unusually cagey lately. I don’t think this is about a tenure position.”_

_“Well, they’ll be here soon and we’ll see who’s right. I’ll collect my winnings in the form of back rubs,” he winked and she rolled her eyes and gently swatted his arm._

“Grandpa?” Agnarr opened his eyes. Neta was looking around the empty waiting room.

“What is it, sweet pea?”

“Where’d Dad go?”

“He went to get some coffee and bacon. Go back to sleep.”

“Nah, I’m wide awake now,” she yawned and climbed over to the chair next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her. “Grandpa, when the baby comes, will I still be your favorite granddaughter?”

“You’ll always be my favorite Neta.” He hugged her and tapped her nose. She giggled. “And you’ll be the best big cousin there ever was.”

“Can I play Sudoku on your phone?”

“Here,” he unlocked and handed it to her. He watched her tap the screen a few times. “Did your mother tell you that she knew Aunt Elsa was pregnant before even Aunt Elsa knew?”

“Yep,” Neta smiled up at him. “I saw a zit on her cheek and pointed it out to mom. ‘cause I thought it was weird that Aunt Elsa had one. And mom said she knew that she was pregnant.”

Agnarr laughed. “I hadn’t heard that part of the story.”

“Well it was really weird to see an adult with zits!” He ruffled her hair.

“Dad!” Anna bounced into the room. “Dad! She’s here! She’s beautiful!” Anna stopped vibrating long enough to pull Neta out of the chair and into a tight hug. “She’s beautiful, Neta!”

Agnarr was on his feet, grinning. “Where’s your mother?”

“She’s still back there, waiting for you! Room two fifteen! Only two support people at a time. Hospital rules,” Anna rolled her eyes. “At least until they get her to a mom-baby room. Alarik doesn’t count. Go! Go! I’ll wait here.” She looked around. “Where’s Kristoff?”

But he was already out of the waiting room and moving down the hall.

“Dad!” Elsa looked exhausted, but radiant as she smiled at him. Iduna was sitting next to the bed, beaming. She glanced over at Alarik who was holding a swaddled bundle in his arms. Agnarr pretended not to notice that his face and eyes were suspiciously red and swollen. He quickly crossed to Elsa and bent to kiss her forehead.

“Congratulations, Elsa.” He hadn’t realized how tense he had been in the waiting room until he saw his eldest girl safe and whole. His muscles unknotted all at once as he straightened to look at the baby.

“Johanna Maria,” Elsa said softly.

“But ‘Jenny’ for short,” Alarik said hoarsely as he handed her over to Agnarr.

“Hi Jenny,” he said quietly, taking in the large blue eyes that were entirely Elsa’s. “Welcome to the family.”


	2. Iduna's PoV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is a companion piece to A Crown to the Aged. It takes place in the same universe as The First Meeting, As Time Goes By and Sunrise, Sunset. It was written as a shameless bribe for @couragedontdesertme to write another chapter of City of Ice and if she keeps going for Chapter 5, I will write something in this AU with Dag ‘cause fic swap and bribery is ALWAYS worth it.
> 
> Thank you @fericita-s for beta reading and @patricia-von-arundel for creating Alarik, Jenny and Neta.

Iduna gave Agnarr a back rub anyway when they arrived home from the White Dog Café. She tried not to laugh as she pulled him down onto the sofa of their cozy study, lined with bookshelves. She leaned against the cushions and placed his head in her lap, working her fingers under his neck and shoulder blades as he scowled.

“The one time I didn’t guess she was pregnant,” he grumbled.

“Don’t take it so hard, dear,” she soothed him while trying to maintain a straight face. “Don’t be such an old grump.”

“I’m not an old grump. It’s just that I usually don’t like surprises.” He raised his hands defensively at her look. “I like this one! Don’t get me wrong. It’s wonderful news! I hadn’t thought they were ever going to have children. I thought after Neta that was going to be it.” He sighed and smiled faintly. “She’ll be thrilled to hear she’s going to have a little cousin. Do you think she knows yet?”

“Honestly, Agnarr,” Iduna looked at him fondly as she kneaded his muscles. “Anna probably knew that Elsa was pregnant before Elsa did. She’s been strangely cryptic and quick to get off the phone lately. I don’t think she wanted to spoil the surprise for us. And if she knew, I’m sure Neta knew.”

“Another grandchild,” he mused.

“Mhmm.”

“It’ll be harder to help than it was with Anna and Neta. Them being up in New York.”

“We’ll make it work. I can go stay with her for a bit.” She shifted so she was cradling him from behind with his head resting comfortably on her chest. She kissed his forehead. “I’ve been thinking of taking a short sabbatical from the lab. This would be the perfect time.”

* * * * *

Alarik was clearly trying not to panic as he held Elsa’s hand and tried to comfort her with murmured reassurances in Swedish. Iduna hovered on the other side of the bed, feeding her daughter ice chips and mopping away the sweat that kept building up on her forehead. Elsa had accepted the epidural, but she still looked exhausted and uncomfortable.

“Was it this hard with me?” She whispered, looking up at her mother with worried eyes. Iduna bit her lip. The most painful part of Elsa’s birth that she could remember was the emotional toll of her mother not being there in person as she hadn’t been due to arrive from Norway for a few more days. Her most other vivid memory was of Agnarr, who had locked his knees, passed out, and crashed to the floor nearly breaking his nose in the process. The poor man had lost his own mother in childbirth and been entirely beside himself from the moment her contractions had begun. She considered it lucky that he hadn’t actually had a stroke.

“It’s never easy, darling, but as soon as the baby is out, it’s all over.”

Elsa bit her lip and nodded before looking down the length of the bed to where Anna was watching, slightly pale.

“Was it bad with Neta?”

“Uh,” Iduna and Anna exchanged a wide-eyed glance. It had been a nightmare with Neta. Anna forced a smile. “You know, giving birth is a miracle but it’s really scary. So if you’re nervous, that’s normal. Totally normal.”

“That’s not a real answer,” Elsa grunted.

“Alskling, you’re doing amazing,” Alarik said in a hushed tone, pressing his lips against the back of her hand as she squeezed her eyes shut, another contraction beginning. The nurse peeked under the blanket and nodded.

“You’re at just about eight centimeters, so if you’re ok with it, Elsa, I’m going to ask mom to hold one leg and your sister to hold the other. That’ll help you push.”

“Uh-huh,” Elsa groaned as she gritted her teeth and clenched the bedsheets.

“And dad, you just stay there with her, she’s going to need you,” the nurse continued as she flitted around the bedside, moving this and that, checking the monitors and tracings on a machine that Iduna couldn’t decipher.

It had been terrible to watch Anna in pain during Neta’s birth. Her granddaughter had come so quickly that Kristoff had barely made it to the hospital in time and Elsa had still been stuck in rush hour traffic on I-95. And that had only been the beginning before the hemorrhaging and subsequent surgery and blood transfusion. But, trooper that her youngest girl was, Anna looked focused and as calm as could be expected as her older sister labored steadily.

The inevitable continued. Her daughter screamed and bled and vomited. The final time, she managed to get sick all over her husband who shushed her when she tried to apologize, still weeping and semi-delirious from exhaustion. He was gray in color, but he bore up to the task of trying to keep her calm. Iduna and Anna strained and counted with the nurse and then the doctor, rubbing Elsa’s calves between contractions and hoping it would all be over soon.

And then . . .there was Jenny. 

Elsa watched anxiously as her daughter was cleaned and weighed, listening to her cry and being reassured by Alarik that it was a good thing, a very good thing that their baby was crying. Ten fingers, ten toes. A fine rosy look and -

“Oh God, what’s wrong with her head?”

“Alarik!” Anna smacked his arm as Elsa’s eyes flew open. “It’s normal! It’s called molding.”

“Don’t worry, darling,” Iduna rubbed her daughter’s shoulders. “Your head looked exactly the same. It only lasts a little while.”

“Ok?”

“She’s really very beautiful, Alskling,” Alarik’s voice was suspiciously high. His back was to them, but he was wiping at his face and there was a sniffle. “The most beautiful thing in the world.” He turned around, gently bouncing the small bundle cradled in his arms. Iduna noticed Anna gazing at the baby with a pained, but loving expression. It had hurt her youngest’s heart to be told she couldn’t have any more children.

“Oh, Elsa,” Anna breathed. “She’s beautiful.”

“Hi, Jenny,” Elsa grinned as she reached out to take her baby from Alarik.

“I’ll go get Dad,” Anna said and slipped out the door.

“Can you say ‘hi’ to _bestemor_?” Elsa beamed at Iduna, angling Jenny so that she could see the baby’s face.

“Elsa,” Iduna whispered. “I’m so proud of you. She’s just lovely.”

“Can I?” Alarik held out his arms and Elsa handed the baby off once more.

“Just for a moment, then I should try to feed her.” The door opened. “Dad!”

Iduna looked up and caught her husband’s face, soft and transfixed in love. A familiar expression to her after so many years spent together, and familiar to his girls and to Neta. He gazed at her in wonder and she smiled. He looked back at his daughter.

“Congratulations, Elsa.”


End file.
